MITOMYCIN-C STIMULATES THE EXPRESSION OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUSLONG TERMINAL REPEAT SEQUENCES IN RAT AND HUMAN FIBROBLASTS

We have employed a recombinant plasmid, pBHIV1, carrying the long term inal repeat (LTR) sequences of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV -1) linked to the reporter chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) ge ne and to the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (aph) gene as a select able marker. We have introduced pBHIV1 into rat 208F and human MRCSV40 TGR fibroblasts and obtained stable geneticin resistant RFBHIV1-1 and SVTGHIV1-1 cells, respectively. Both transfectant cells express CAT ac tivity from the HIV LTR promoter. The response to the antineoplastic d rug mitomycin C was studied on the LTR regulated CAT activity in both cell lines. It was found that mitomycin C at 10 mug/mL concentration s timulates the expression of CAT from the HIV LTR 77-fold in rat RFBHIV 1-1 and 3.1-fold in human SVTGHIV1-1 cells.